A/N: After trying to write different stories from other characters I finally have figured out the best couple. I'm trying to also see which story gets the best response and then just write that one. If you like this one, please let me know. I'm all ears, I realized i wrote a scene in here that is similar to a Sam and Emily moment I wrote, but this one seems more powerful. Everything about this story seems more powerful then the others. So please keep in mind when you read this, I'm trying this out because I want to see which story is the better one to continue with. I never thought of writing one about Jacob's sister Rachael. So here it is, I do have a plot for this one, enjoy! BTW the titles are most likely going to be Hanson songs, they just click with the story.
Change In My Life
A Man gets crazy when his life is all wrong,
And a heart gets weary when it doesn't belong.
When the road gets rocky Lord
You've got to keep on.
Let the new light come shining on through.
I've been lonely, I've been cheated,
I've been misunderstood
I've been washed up, I've been put down,
And told I'm no good
But with you I belong,
There's a change in my life
Since you came along.
Hanson - Change In My Life
1. Smile
Well this feeling that you're feeling
Is something I know you've felt before
When I see you I want to hold you
Till the end of time and a little bit more
And I'm not gonna let it go
You've got to let your feelings show
So smile, give me all your heart and we'll never be apart.
Hanson - Smile
Home was never far away, it was always a few miles away. As I stood outside of my home in La Push Washington, I began to think of my Mother. It had been so long, she was gone and it was just Dad, Jacob, Rebecca and I, Rachael Black. Rebecca was gone, she married some guy and moved to Hawaii with him, we speak on the phone, I haven't seen her in a few years. Dad and Jacob still live here, and it was time for me to come back. I was done with college and it seemed like the right thing to do. The house had a man feel to it, well especially with two men living there. It was just as I'd remembered, it was a small wooden house, the red paint was staring to peal off, and become a discolored red. I noted Dad's wheelchair ramp, and smiled when I saw the curtains in the window just above it move.
It had to of been Dad, the door opened and there he was, just as I'd remembered. Daddy had long black hair, I had always seen him with a silly cowboy hat, he rarely takes it off. He rolled down the wheel chair ramp, and I picked up my things. I practically ran to my Father. I wrapped my arms around him.
"Hey Rachael, it's nice to have you back home" his grip tightened. I heard another set of footsteps from behind Dad. When I looked up it was my once adorable younger Brother Jacob. He had changed a lot since I had last come to see him. His hair was even shorter, his body was a lot muscular, he was not the little Brother I had remembered. He was only in his boxers and he began to scratch his head.
"What's all the… Rachael?" he questioned. I smiled at him.
"Jake" I said.
"I told you I was coming home, too busy to remember your own Sister was coming?" I questioned as I picked up my suitcases.
"No, I'm just. What time is it?" he questioned. I laughed.
"You're a mess!" I chuckled. A slight smile grew on his loveable face, I saw the Jacob that I had known for so many years.
"Yeah, girl trouble what can I tell ya" he said. His smiled faded slightly but he still kept his voice light. I made my way up to him, dropped my bags and hugged his warm body.
"Jesus Christ! What have you been doing to yourself?" I pulled away and lifted his right arm. I inspected it, pulling it up for him to make a muscle.
"Steroids Jake?" I questioned. He laughed loudly, I heard Dad snort too.
"Nothing close" he chuckled.
"Jake be a man and help your Sister with her luggage" Dad called. Jake yawned and picked up one of my bags.
"It's really not necessary, I can handle it" I said.
"Oh don't be such an independent woman Rachael, I can handle a few…" he pretended to drop my bag.
"Ya got bricks in here or something?" he grumbled.
"Oh c'mon Jake, those strong muscles can't handle some girl merchandise?" I questioned. He grinned.
"I was just kidding, this is light as a feather. However; it is quite heavy" he said. I shook my head and picked up the other bag. I made my way back into the house. It was small and quaint as usual. The living room was a bit of mess. A bowl of chips from god knows when lay on a brown snack tray in front of the beat up old couch. I looked over at the kitchen, it looked like they had made a slight effort to clean. However; there was bags of chips and other types of junk food all over the table.
"What are we feeding the whole town of La Push?" I questioned walking passed the kitchen.
"No, your bother's friends like to raid my kitchen. I have to make sure it's fully stocked constantly. Teenage boys are a lot hungrier than I was at that age" Dad laughed. I shook my head and proceeded to my room. It was next to Jakes, small like the rest of the house. My walls were white, I had a wooden floor. The purple curtains that I had once had up when I was 14 were still there. Rebecca's bed was on one side of the room, mine was on the other.
"Have you spoken to Becca?" Jacob asked as he set my bag down on my side of the room. I nodded.
"Yeah, she's learning how to surf. I was supposed to visit her last summer, money was a bit tight. College can do that to you" I told him. He nodded.
"Jake, can I say something without making you angry?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"Depends" he replied.
"You look great don't get me wrong, but why the bags under your eyes. You look absolutely exhausted! What's up?" I asked.
"I told you, girl trouble" he growled. I sighed.
"Okay, fine. I just thought if you needed to confide in someone, I'm back and I'm here for you" I told him. He nodded.
"Thanks Rach, I'll keep it in mind" he said.
"Thank you for helping" I said.
He waved his hand at me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~
"Dad, I'm going to First Beach to do some reading and relax, is my bike still in the garage?" I questioned.
"Well, Jake's kind of taken over the garage with motorbikes and his car, but I'm sure it's still in there" he said. Dad was in the living room watching a game of some sorts on T.V. I walked outside and over to the garage on the side of the house. I opened up the door, and to my surprise my bike was right where I had left it. I loved riding my bike to the beach. I shifted the small purple backpack on my back, and headed for my bike.
The La Push weather was it's usual, cloudy with a chance of rain. I felt the warmth of the sun peering through though. It wasn't sweltering hot, which was always good. As I approached the beach I noted a lot more people than usual. It was always nice to go down here. I put my bike in the bike rack, locking it up like old times. Then I headed down towards the water. I really never had to worry about tanning, my skin was the perfect russet color. I had to tie my long black hair back from the slight breeze that picked up when I got down towards the shore. I rolled up the bottoms of my blue jeans, and took off the black flip flops, feeling the sand between my toes. I took off my backpack and unzipped it, taking out a small towel to sit on. Once I was comfortable I pulled off my black t-shirt, I had my red bathing suit top on. I opened up the book I was currently reading, it was called Speak. It was very interesting, about a girl who goes through a painful experience with a guy, something no girl should go through. All the kids treat her like she's a disease after she calls the cops on the party, and she decides to not speak.
The time passed quickly when you read, I began to feel my stomach growl slightly. I put down the book and pulled out a chocolate chip granola bar, it melted a bit. I finished it off by licking my fingers, Mm, chocolate. I looked up at that very second after placing the wrapper back in my bag, coming up the shore was a guy I vaguely remembered. He was tall and buff. He had dark black hair, it was all messy from the water. He had water droplets dripping off of his body, in the most perfect way. A beige colored towel wrapped around his bulky neck. He stopped a little bit in front of me and began drying his hair with the towel, then he placed it back around his neck. His eyes glanced over to where I was sitting. When he noticed I was watching, I shakily grabbed my book and pretended I hadn't seen him. I couldn't really read, I still felt his eyes on me. I wish I had worn my hair down so I could place my hair in front of my face. If I could, I wouldn't feel the burn of his eyes.
"Rachael Black?" I heard a voice. When I looked up it was him standing above me. I furrowed my brow, I was confused he knew who I was? I had a feeling I had known him from somewhere. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"I'm sorry, you most likely don't remember me too well. I'm Paul. I'm Jake's friend" he said with a smile. I squinted when I looked up at him, the sun was finally making it's way out from the clouds. I stood up and gave him another look.
"Paul, oh yeah. Of course I remember you. Sorry, I guess I was up to early this morning" I said tugging on my ponytail. He laughed.
"It's already, it's good to see you" he said. I nodded my head.
"Yeah, it is" I said back. I hated the awkwardness between the two of us.
"So, you've been at College?" he asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, studying medical studies. Mainly Animal studies, wildlife. I graduated a little bit early, and now I'm back in town for a while. I'm taking things slow, maybe eventually I'll find a job" I told him.
"That's great, I wish I could go to College. Get out of here, see the world" he said.
"Why can't you? I'm pretty sure if you put your mind to it, you could do anything" I told him. He chuckled slightly.
"I wish it were that simple" he said. His eyes gazed into mine. They were dark and mysterious. I loved the way they looked deep into mine. It made me feel like he was searching my mind, looking into my soul. I was doing the same, I felt butterflies in my stomach, as we stood there in silence. I couldn't help but blush slightly.
"I'm sorry to hear that" I finally spoke.
"Hey, it is what it is, right?" he stated. I nodded my head.
"So, what are you doing here all alone?" he questioned. I still had the book in my hand. I lifted it and showed him.
"It's been hectic with finals and graduation, I missed the beach. So I decided to come and read a little bit. I wanted to relax, I wouldn't mind some company though" I said with a smile. Was I flirting with him? This kid had to be younger than I was. If he was friends with Jake, he had to be only 17 or 18. He smiled and accepted my invitation, both of us sat down on my blanket. It was small enough where our bodies were almost touching. I could feel the heat radiating off of his too.
"So do you like being home?" he asked.
"I've only been here for a few hours. Jake was acting weird, Dad was watching his game, so I came here" I told him.
"Yeah, Jake's got a girl on his mind. She doesn't love him, not one bit. If I would say she's totally messing with his head. She's in love with some vam… other guy" he quickly fixed his sentence. I lifted one brow confused of his response.
"Oh, do I know this girl?" I asked.
"You going to kick her ass for your Brother?" he questioned. I laughed.
"No, nothing like that. I just would like to know who's messing with my Brothers head. He looks so distracted and distraught" I said.
"Her name is Isabella Swan, Chief Swan's Daughter" I looked at him. I could remember her from anywhere. She used to come by every summer when we were all younger. We would have to keep her company while Dad and Chief Swan would watch T.V.
"Oh, yes I remember" I told him. He looked at my face.
"He'll get over it" Paul said. I nodded.
"So enough about Jake, What are you doing here on the beach all by yourself?" I questioned. He smiled.
"Escaping, just needed some "me" time" he said with a smile.
"Life getting to you?" I asked. He chuckled slightly.
"Yeah, you could definitely say that" he smiled and stared straight ahead. The silence overcame us once again. It was hard to talk to someone you hadn't seen in years. I never really talked to Paul in the first place. I just remember him vaguely when we were younger. Everyone knew each other on the reservation. It was hard not to. The clouds suddenly made their way over the sun. I felt small rain drops trickle on my head.
"I should get going, I have to ride my bike home. Wouldn't want to get caught in a downpour" I said with a smile. I regretted having to leave so early. I was enjoying the company, even if it was just a silent conversation we were having.
"I cant take you home, if you want.. I mean really it's no problem. Your bike will fit in my pick up" he offered. He was so sweet about it. The second I stood up he grabbed the blanket from underneath me. He began to fold it, as the rain drops grew heavier, we both rushed to put things away. He handed me my towel and I stuffed it in the bag along with the book.
"I don't want to trouble you" I said to him. He titled his head and furrowed his brow.
"C'mon your Jake's Sis, really it's no problem. He's a good buddy. Wouldn't want to feel guilty if you got sick because I didn't take you home" he said.
"Okay, if it's not a problem" I said. He grabbed my arm lightly and I followed. I found my bike and we got it into his black truck just in time for the downpour. Over the sound of the rain clunking on the roof he over heard my stomach growl. He looked over and I felt the blood race to my cheeks.
"Jeez your home for not even a day and already those two are starving you" he said with a smile.
"Well I was going to cook dinner for them, I just need to go to the store to get a few things" he looked over at me as he started up the engine. His radio blasted my ear drums, luckily he turned it down right away. He gave me an apologetic look.
"I could take you to the food store, I'll help you. I'm sure Jake wouldn't mind my company" he said with a smile.
"I don't want to.."
"Trouble me, I know. Look I don't mind really" he said. I smiled.
"Okay, then let's grab something for dinner" I said to him.
We got to the grocery store just in time for the rain to stop pouring. It didn't officially stop but it wasn't as heavy as it had been on our drive over. He stopped the car and reached back behind the seat. He pulled out a black umbrella and handed it to me.
"Here, use this" he said. I couldn't believe how nice this guy was. How come I never really got to know him before.
"Thanks" I responded shyly. He hoped out of the car, and I followed. I quickly put up the umbrella and the two of us ran to the door of the store. Once we were under the covering, I folded up the umbrella and handed it back. He walked over to the side of the store and grabbed a shopping cart. We made our way inside, there weren't many people inside, maybe because it was a Sunday night. The grocery store usually closed early, we had about a half an hour of shopping time left. Paul grabbed the cart and wouldn't let me push it. I pulled out a list I had made in my room earlier of what I would need.
"So what's for dinner?" he questioned.
"Stir Fried Steak and Veggies" I said as I grabbed a pen from my bag. I looked up at the signs in each individual isle. It wasn't like the food stores by the college, the one here was so small you could find anything in under a minute. I glared at the veggie isle.
"So, what kind of veggies do we need?" he questioned. I looked at the list.
"Broccoli, Carrots, Onion, a clove of garlic, which should be around here. Oh, and some snow peas" I said to him. Before I finished reading off of the list, he was already grabbing the garlic and onions. I smiled at the thought and made my way to the other items.
"I think we have everything" he studied the cart and my list and made sure that we had checked off everything.
"What should I get for desert?" I questioned as we wheeled the cart to the desert isle. I spotted something I hadn't had in ages. It was a box to make key lime pie. Once again we were on a mission to find what was needed. We headed for the check out, after snatching the pie crust. My phone began to vibrate. I pulled the black piece of crap out of my pocket and looked at the cracked caller ID screen.
"It's Jake" I picked it up.
"Hey" I said.
"Dad's worried where the hell are you?" he sounded angry, it was so unlike Jake to be angry.
"Jake, calm you pits. I'm at the grocery store getting things to prepare for dinner. I figured you two haven't had a home meal in a while, so I was being nice and going out to get things. Don't fuss with me, I don't want an attitude" I yelled and began placing the items on the belt for check out. Paul was helping me.
"Did you have any coupons, or a card?" Paul asked. I shook my head.
"Who was that?" Jake questioned.
"Wouldn't you like to know" I spat back at him.
"I wouldn't make him angry" Paul said to me. I looked at Paul and then went back to putting the rest of the contents on the counter.
"Look, I'll be home in 20 minutes. Make sure the kitchen is clean so that I have room to cook. Okay? Thanks" I hung up the phone. I was about to put it in my pocket when it dropped to the ground. I watched as the back piece flew off, and a piece of the front screen chipped. I sighed heavily and as I went down to pick it up, Paul had already had the phone in his hands. We both stood up and he handed it to me.
"You need a new one of these" he laughed.
"Yeah, it lasted me through college, this thing has gone through a lot" I laughed. I placed it back in my pocket and we proceeded to check out.
The girl behind the register was gorgeous. She had long black hair, that grazed the small of her back. Her eyes were a beautiful green color and her skin was a copper tone. Her boobs hung out of her shirt as she bent down every time she scanned something.
"Hey Paul" her voice was even sexy enough to blind any man. He looked at her.
"Hey Cherie" he said. He barely looked at her as he, grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket. He looked at me.
"I got this" he said. I was about to argue when I noticed she touched his arm.
"You didn't call me last night" she said running her pointer finger up and down his arm.
"How much was that again?" he questioned. The expression on her face changed as she looked over at me. She still had her grimy fingers on his arm.
"$34.09" she said. He looked over at me.
"Hey babe do you have a 10 on you?" he questioned. I looked at him and noticed the pleading look in his eyes.
"Of course I do sweetie" I dug through the money in my pink wallet and pulled out a 10. I walked over to Paul as he handed her the money. I wrapped my arm around his, she was putting the amount in the register. I placed my head on his shoulder as her cashier drawer opened. I felt warm moist lips touch the top of my head. I felt my heart racing, my face turned red again, and my stomach fluttered. I felt him squeeze me slightly, and I looked up at him. My face was so close to his, and the warmth of his body felt so good against my cold skin. The one reason I hate supermarkets, it's always so cold. I watched as she handed him the change, I noticed her hand writing on the receipt. She had written her number.
I walked over to the food and started to bag the items. I watched as she was trying to get his attention. He was watching me, every move I made, like he really meant it. It was so well done it almost felt real. I actually really liked it, no one had ever made me feel that way. He walked over to grab the bags, when he got to me instead of reaching for the bag he leaned down. I was a lot shorter then he was, his lips touched mine. My lips tingled with a sensation I had never felt before. I dropped one of the bags I was holding onto as his tongue slipped into my mouth. I knew he was only doing this to get back at her, and that was okay, really. It was kind of fun ticking someone like that off. He pulled away and looked at me, and pulled his hand to my face, his thumb caressing my cheek closest to my mouth. He smiled.
I could feel her stare, as the two of us grabbed our items. He didn't looked at her, not at all the entire time. His arm slid around me, I could feel him looking at me as we walked towards the doors. Once we got outside, he kept his arm around me. I wasn't sure what to say, and I didn't know if he felt anything from what had just happened. I liked the way it felt, it was good.
"I'm sorry did I go to far in there?" he questioned. The sun had partially returned again, we no longer needed the umbrella. I shook my head, I felt his arm release from around me.
"That was the most fun I've had in quite some time actually" I chuckled. He looked at me and smiled back.
"Thank god, and I'm so sorry for that. I went on one date with her and she thinks we're in love. It's really bad. I hope you don't mind" he said.
"Not at all, like I said it was fun" I smiled. He looked at me the same way he did the grocery store. I felt something deep inside of me, something making me feel like he and I did something right. It was like gravity was pulling us together. Our lips almost met again when the broken cell phone in my pocket magically rang. I sighed. He let out his hand to take the bags I was holding.
"What is it Jake?" I questioned.
"Rachael it's your Father" he said.
"Oh, sorry Dad. I'm on my way back to the house. I have a really nice dinner and desert planned" I said with a smile.
"Oh. Um.. Okay. Sounds great, just making sure you were coming home" he said.
"Yeah Dad I'll be there in 10" I said. I put the phone back in my pocket and noticed that Paul was already putting the groceries in the back of the truck. I walked quickly towards the truck. He came around by my side and opened the door for me.
"Thanks" I smiled and hopped in.
The ride home was a bit quiet, neither of us knew what to say. Was there even anything to say? We pulled up to the house, and he shut off the truck.
"Paul, you should stay for dinner. I mean you helped me out so much today. I should repay you with something" I told him. He smiled.
"I couldn't impose" he told me shutting off the engine.
"No, really I'm not asking I'm telling" I told him.
"Feisty now are we" he chuckled.
"I have to make today up to you, for troubling you" I told him.
"Really… no trouble" it was happening again. That weird force that was pulling us together. I could feel my temperature rising, my heart was racing too. Our bodies somehow were making their way towards each other. I was once again about to place my lips on his soft moist lips, when a knock at the window startled me. My heart raced even faster then when he was kissing me. I looked on my side of the window to see Jake knocking at the window. I pushed the handle to the door open and he backed off.
"What are you doing?" he questioned.
"I met Paul at the beach and he gave me a ride. He's staying for dinner by the way. Why don't you be a man and help with the groceries" I said to him. He took a deep breath.
"Hey Jake!" Paul called as he grabbed my bike from the back. He rolled it over to me.
"Thanks" I blushed.
"You guys can just leave the stuff on the table, I'll be in there in a minute" I told them. I rolled my bike to the garage and listened to them ranting and raving.
Dinner turned out great, Paul, Jake and Dad watched T.V. while I cooked. They loved the stir fry, as they ate I began to prepare the pie. Dad watched as I ran around the kitchen to make a meal.
"Rachael, why don't you sit down and enjoy your dinner. You barely touched anything" Dad said. I was too busy going through the bags to respond to him.
"Rach!" he yelled.
"Sit down and eat your dinner" he added.
"I need to start the pie…." as I turned around I felt myself hit something. It was something you'd see happen in slow motion on T.V. I watched as the beautiful white ceramic cookie jar that Mom had made for Jake, Rebecca and I when we were younger, fall to pieces on the ground. My eyes lit up and so did Jakes. I wasn't completely over the whole Mom thing, it was long ago but when something like this happened it tore me up inside. I started to feel a bit embarrassed because my eyes were welling up with tears.
I dropped to the floor and began to pick up the broken pieces. I could barely see what I was picking up from the blur in my eyes.
"Honey your hands don't…." it was too late I felt the prick on my skin, and saw the blood trickle from my finger.
"I'll go get the first aid kit" Jake sighed. I watched as he got up from the table. Dad wheeled himself over.
"We'll pick it up later sweetie, it'll be okay" he told me. I noticed Paul getting up and walking to my side. He kneeled down next to me and I rested my head on his shoulder. Jacob came back with the kit, and kneeled down in front of me.
"Paul, do you mind? I'm going to clean this up" he handed him the kit. I stood up and he led me to the living room. Dad and Jake were discussing things, while Paul was healing my wound. He sat me down on the couch and sat down next to me. He pulled out the peroxide and began to fix up my cut. I winced with pain as he placed the cotton ball over the cut. He lifted my finger and began to blow lightly on the cut. The warmth once again helped me. I winced, but it wasn't the pain of the cut, it was the pain that something my Mother made for us was now broken into millions of pieces. He placed the band aid on the cut and started to rub my hand.
"Did I hurt you?" he questioned. I shook my head as tears fell from my eyes.
"Then what is it?" he questioned.
"That was my Mother's, she made it for us when we were younger. It just means so much to me. I miss her, sometimes when no one is looking I still cry, it helps. I'm sorry you don't want to hear all of this" I laughed slightly as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
"No, I do" he whispered. I heard someone clear their throat and when I looked up Jacob was staring at me.
"Are you okay Rach?" he questioned. I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about Mom's cookie jar. That thing has gone through so much, I just Jake I'm sorry" I let out a sob, and he looked at me. He walked over to the couch and sat on the other side. He wrapped his brotherly arms around me and allowed me to cry a bit. When I was finished I pulled away and wiped my eyes.
"How about we make that pie" Paul said with a smile.
Jacob and I both agreed, and the three of us ended up making the pie together. We waited a while for it to do it's thing in the fridge. We ate pie and watched T.V. acting like we were all old friends. It was getting late and around 11pm or so Paul stood up to leave. Jake got up too and walked into his room after saying goodnight. I walked with Paul to his truck. He turned around and smiled.
"I wish Jake would have let us meet like this years ago" he said to me. I nodded.
"Likewise, it was a good day" I was starting to blush slightly again.
"Your adorable when you blush" he said. That made my cheeks burn even more. I smacked him on the arm lightly.
"Hey, would you possibly be interested in going with me to Port Angeles on Friday? I have some shopping to do and I was just wondering, I know how much girls like the shops there" he started to ramble. I smiled.
"I'd love to" I said in almost a whisper.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"I said I'd love to" I told him. He smiled.
"Great, see you Friday" he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I watched as he drove away, and then headed back to my room. I saw Jacob standing in front of his open door with his arms crossed.
"Rachael I…"
"Save it Jake" I said in a daze.
I went to my room and shut my door. I almost felt like a teenager again, yes Paul was young a mere 18 or so years old, but he made my heart flutter. He made my stomach churn, not in a bad way. I threw myself on my bed, and held onto my pillow. I knew coming back home would be good, I just didn't realize how good. I knew Mom was watching over me, maybe she was the one that made Paul run into me today, if it were her… Thanks Mom. I couldn't wait till Friday, until then I had to keep myself busy, I decided on cleaning the house and going to the beach. That should occupy me until I saw Paul next. That night when I closed my eyes, sleep came natural and it was easy to fall asleep. I was home and I was happy.